The dataset on first sales of fish in the European markets was created in 2016 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The dataset is updated twice a year and it is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The dataset originates from the monthly first sales of fish data made available by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture products (EUMOFA). The EUMOFA is a fully-fledged observatory, but it is also a work in progress and its coverage is constantly revised by adding or removing locations and species. EUMOFA data have been related to the fish markets locations (points) made available in DG MARE's Master Data Register, revised when necessary according to the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations database (UN/LOCODE) and according to the EUROSTAT/GISCO dataset on main ports locations. Volume (net weight in kg), value (Euro) and price (Euro/kg) data are provided for each fish species in each place of sale by year, month, Commodity Group (CG), Main Commercial Species (MCS), EU's Electronic recording and reporting system (ERS) name, size category (according to AnnexII of Council R. 2406/96), preservation state and presentation state (aggregated by group and disaggregated by presentation type). The geographic coverage of available data is: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. It covers a time series from 2003 to 2023, where available. Compared with the previous version, this new version of the dataset includes an update to July 2023 (for the countries which sent their data to EUMOFA).